I’m not the best model in the world

I don’t have the body for regular modeling, my hands have too many freckles for hand modeling, my second toe is longer than my big toe so no foot modelling for me and my hair is too nonexistent to be a hair model. That’s not really what this is all about though.

Back in May I was visiting South Potomac Church in Waldorf, MD. Other than the fact that I love this church, the people and the pastor, the sermon was pretty good too. It was so good that it only took me two months to write about it. The truth is I misplaced the bulletin insert from that sermon and just stumbled on it when I was packing for my trip to Alaska.

The sermon was titled “Raising Amazing Kids” so at first I was so tempted to tune it out completely seeing as I have zero kids with little chance of having one in the near future, but then Pastor Dave Huffman started talking about modeling for your kids as the best way to raise them the right way. On the back of the sermon notes were things that parents need to model for their kids and i realized it is more than that. This list shows the things that every Christian should be modeling for other Christians and non-Christians alike. We are to strive to be like Christ and walk like he walked (1Jn 2:6, Titus 3:1-15, Eph 4:1-32).

Here is the list:

your language

your faith and prayer

how alcohol is used

the level of honesty

the value of education

your work ethic

your level of generosity

your level of spending

the value of physical fitness

the movies you watch

the places you go

your commitment to church

the priority of friends of character

If you are like me, and I am sure you are, then you probably did a mental checklist of all the things in this list that you have failed and if you are like me you probably failed every single one of these at some point. I’m not going to go into details about how I have failed each and every one, but I do want to share what I thought about after I got over the fact that I suck.

Matthew 9:12-13

12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

We are sinners, there is no way around that, but thank goodness, Christ came specifically for us because of our sin. We will probably fail daily in one of more of these facets, but its what we do in response His forgiveness of those sins that actually matters. I cannot say it better than Paul so I will end with his words from 1 Timothy 1:12-17

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.